Mario Party DS features the same gameplay seen in previous Mario Party games. Players go around on boards to collect coins, which they can use to buy stars. Movement is done with the use of a dice block with the numbers one through ten. After all four players take their turns, a mini-game is played. The player that wins the mini-game wins coins. The winner is the player with the most stars at the end of the game. While most mini-games use the buttons and control pad, others use the console's stylus and microphone.

Five boards are in the game. Each board is themed towards a character in the game. Eight characters are available for players to play as.